Apparatus and method for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower. The snow blower has an intake locus through which snow is received as received snow and an output locus through which the received snow is ejected as blown snow. The snow handling mechanism conveys the received snow from the intake locus to the output locus. The snow blower includes an internal combustion engine having an exhaust port. The internal combustion engine is coupled with the snow handling mechanism for effecting the conveying. The apparatus includes: (a) a collecting unit coupled with the exhaust port; the collecting unit receives exhaust fluids from the exhaust port; and (b) a fluid conveying unit coupled with the collecting unit and coupled substantially adjacent to the intake locus; the fluid conveying unit delivers the exhaust fluids from the collecting unit to the intake locus.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to snow blower apparatuses, and especially to snow blower apparatuses that include at least one internal combustion engine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For purposes of this disclosure, the terms “snow thrower” and “snow blower” shall be used interchangeably and shall be regarded as synonymous. A snow blower is a machine for removing snow from an area where the snow is not wanted, such as, by way of example and not by way of limitation, a driveway, sidewalk, roadway, railroad track, ice rink, runway, or yard.

Snow blowers may employ one or more stages in handling snow to be removed. By way of example and not by way of limitation, a snow blower may employ two stages in a snow handling mechanism that conveys received snow from an intake locus to an output locus of the snow blower: a first stage, sometimes including an auger structure, for encountering snow at the input locus of the snow blower and drawing the encountered snow toward a second stage, and a second stage, sometimes including an impeller structure, for receiving transient snow from the first stage and imparting force to the transient snow to eject the transient snow through an output structure at the output locus of the snow blower. The output structure may be, by way of example and not by way of limitation, a chute structure. The chute structure may be trainable (i.e., movable substantially horizontally within an arcuate range about the snow blower), and pointable (i.e., movable substantially vertically within an arcuate range about the snow blower) by a user to permit the user to direct blown snow ejected from the chute structure in a desired direction.

One problem that may be encountered while operating a snow blower may occur when ambient temperature (e.g., atmospheric temperature) is below the freezing point of water (i.e., 32 degrees Fahrenheit; 0 degrees Celsius). As one operates a snow blower friction among various parts of the snow blower may generate heat, especially among parts associated with or adjacent with the snow handling mechanism of the snow blower. Such generated heat may melt snow to produce water within internal portions of the snow blower. If operation of the snow blower is interrupted for a period sufficient to permit the water within internal portions of the snow blower to refreeze, the resulting ice formed may bind various elements of the snow handling mechanism among themselves or may bind the snow handling mechanism with internal portions of the snow blower. The word “or” is employed throughout this description to indicate that an inclusive relation applies between terms or among terms. For example, the expression “X or Y” intends to describe the relationship (1) X, or (2) Y or (3) X and Y.

As a result of refreezing of water within the interior of the snow blower, when the snow blower is restarted to continue removing snow the snow handling mechanism may be unable to operate. A remedy for this disabling condition may be to warm the snow blower such as by parking the snow blower in a warm space for a time sufficient to permit the internally binding ice formation to melt. This presents an inconvenient delay in a user's snow removal activities.

There is a need for an apparatus and method for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An apparatus for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower. The snow blower has an intake locus through which snow is received as received snow and an output locus through which the received snow is ejected as blown snow. The snow handling mechanism conveys the received snow from the intake locus to the output locus. The snow blower includes an internal combustion engine having an exhaust port. The internal combustion engine is coupled with the snow handling mechanism for effecting the conveying. The apparatus includes: (a) a collecting unit coupled with the exhaust port; the collecting unit receives exhaust fluids from the exhaust port; and (b) a fluid conveying unit coupled with the collecting unit and coupled substantially adjacent to the intake locus; the fluid conveying unit delivers the exhaust fluids from the collecting unit to the intake locus.

A method for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower. The snow blower has an intake locus through which snow is received as received snow and an output locus through which the received snow is ejected as blown snow. The snow handling mechanism conveys the received snow from the intake locus to the output locus. The snow blower includes an internal combustion engine having an exhaust port. The internal combustion engine is coupled with the snow handling mechanism for effecting the conveying. The method includes: (a) receiving exhaust fluids from the exhaust port; and (b) delivering the exhaust fluids from the collecting unit to the intake locus.

For purposes of this disclosure, the term “locus” is intended to indicate a place, location, locality, locale, point, position, site, spot, volume, juncture, junction or other identifiable location-related zone in one or more dimensions. A locus in a physical apparatus may include, by way of example and not by way of limitation, a corner, intersection, curve, line, area, plane, volume or a portion of any of those features.

It is, therefore, a feature of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower.

Further features of the present invention will be apparent from the following specification and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are labeled using like reference numerals in the various figures, illustrating the preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a representative snow blower that employs the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating details of a representative two-stage snow handling mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a representative internal combustion engine that may be used with a snow blower employing the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of details of a representative distributor unit for use with the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of details of a first representative installation of a distributor unit for use with the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view of details of a second representative installation of a distributor unit for use with the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective illustration of a representative embodiment of a collecting unit of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating the method of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention.

When the terms “coupled” and “connected”, along with their derivatives, are used herein, it should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. Rather, in particular embodiments, “connected” is used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other. “Coupled” is used to indicated that two or more elements are in either direct or indirect (with other intervening elements between them) physical or electrical contact with each other, or that the two or more elements co-operate or interact with each other (e.g., as in a cause-and-effect relationship).

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a representative snow blower that employs the present invention. In FIG. 1, a snow blower 10 is illustrated. Snow blower 10 is representative in that snow blower 10 is a two-stage snow blower (as will be described below) and is powered by an internal combustion engine 12. Snow blower 10 includes a snow handling mechanism 14. Snow handling mechanism 14 is coupled with internal combustion engine 12 via a drive arrangement 16. Drive arrangement 16 may be embodied, by way of illustration and not by way of limitation, in a geared arrangement, a drive belt arrangement, a flywheel arrangement, or in another arrangement that imparts mechanical action from internal combustion engine 12 to operate snow handling mechanism 14. Drive arrangement 16 is not shown in detail in FIG. 1 as such arrangements are well-known by those skilled in the art of outdoor power equipment design.

Snow blower 10 also may include a control unit 18. Control unit 18 may include a handle 20 coupled with a base member 19 of snow blower 10. Handle 20 may support various controls 22 that may be appropriately coupled with various elements of snow blower 10 for operating snow blower 10. Controls 22 may include, for example, a self-propelling clutch, a snow handling mechanism clutch, an on-off switch, and other controls associated with operating snow blower 10. Such other controls may affect operational aspects such as direction of ejection of snow from snow blower 10, speed of operation of internal combustion engine 12 (or speed of another engine or motor if installed), or other operational aspects of snow blower 10. Controls 22 are not described herein in detail as they are well-known by those skilled in the art of outdoor power equipment design.

Internal combustion engine 12 may include a gas tank 24 and an exhaust port 26. Exhaust port 26 may incorporate a muffler.

Snow handling mechanism 14 may be situated substantially within a housing 34. Housing 34 may have an intake locus 36 and an output locus 38. Snow handling mechanism 14 may be operated to convey snow received at input locus 36 from input locus 36 to output locus 38. In the two-stage exemplary snow blower 10 illustrated in FIG. 1, snow handling mechanism 14 includes a first stage 30 and a second stage 32. First stage 30 may respond to mechanical force provided by internal combustion engine 12 via drive arrangement 16 to convey snow from intake locus 36 toward second stage 32. Second stage 32 may respond to mechanical force provided by internal combustion engine 12 via drive arrangement 16 to convey snow received from first stage 30 toward output locus 38.

Output locus 38 may include an associated discharge chute 40 and a discharge chute deflector 42. Discharge chute 40 may be trainable (i.e., movable substantially horizontally within an arcuate range about snow blower 10) in response to one or more of controls 22. Additionally, discharge chute deflector 42 may be responsive to one or more of controls 22 to make discharged snow from discharge chute 40 pointable (i.e., movable substantially vertically within an arcuate range about snow blower 10). Thus selected of controls 22 may permit a user to direct blown snow ejected from snow blower 10 in a desired direction.

As one operates snow blower 10 friction among various parts of snow blower 10 may generate heat, especially among parts associated with or adjacent with snow handling mechanism 14. Such generated heat may melt snow to produce water within internal portions of snow blower 10. Snow blower 10 may be operated when ambient temperature (e.g., atmospheric temperature) is below the freezing point of water (i.e., 32 degrees Fahrenheit; 0 degrees Celsius). If operation of snow blower 10 is interrupted in such sub-freezing conditions for a period sufficient to permit water within internal portions of snow blower 10 to refreeze, the resulting ice formed may bind various elements of snow handling mechanism 14 among themselves or may bind snow handling mechanism 14 with internal portions of snow blower 10.

As a result of refreezing of water within the interior of snow blower 10, when snow blower 10 is restarted to continue removing snow, snow handling mechanism 14 may be unable to operate. The remedy for this disabling condition may be to warm snow blower 10 such as by parking snow blower 10 in a warm space for a time sufficient to permit the internally binding ice formation to melt.

To avoid such an inconvenient delay in a user's snow removal activities one may provide the present invention to mitigate freezing of snow handling mechanism 14. A representative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated as being installed with snow blower 10 in FIG. 1. A collecting unit 44 may be installed substantially adjacent with exhaust port 26 (or substantially adjacent with a muffler associated with exhaust port 26, if installed) for receiving exhaust fluids, such as exhaust gases, from exhaust port 26. A fluid conveying unit 46 such as, by way of example and not by way of limitation, a flexible tube may be coupled with collecting unit 44 and with snow blower 10 substantially adjacent with intake locus 36. By way of example and not by way of limitation, fluid conveying unit 46 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as being coupled with snow blower 10 at a generally central location of housing 34 in a manner permitting delivery of warm exhaust gases to within housing 34. As will be described in connection with FIG. 4 a distributor unit may be installed between fluid conveying unit 46 and housing 34 to distribute warming exhaust gases within housing 34.

The present invention may be factory installed during manufacture of snow blower 10. Alternatively, the present invention may be an add-on feature installable after snow blower 10 has been delivered to a user.

Thus the present invention may permit a user to start an internal combustion engine installed with a snow blower to provide warm exhaust gases to the snow handling mechanism of the snow blower for a time following an idle period, such as an idle period during which the snow blower is refueled. The directing of warm exhaust gases to the snow handling mechanism may serve to free up the snow handling mechanism from a binding frozen condition without there being a need to park the snow blower in a warm garage or the like for an extended period to permit melting of ice that is binding the snow handling mechanism. An extended delay in continuing snow blowing operations may thereby be avoided by the use of the present invention.

Other snow blowers that are regarded as being within the scope of the present invention may include, by way of example and not by way of limitation, snow blowers powered by an internal combustion engine for self-propelled operation and powered by another motor or engine for driving snow handling mechanism of the snow blower. An example of another engine or motor may be an electrical motor.

The present invention may be useful even with snow blowers having an internal combustion engine employed for self-propelled operations (a propelling engine) and not involved with driving a snow handling mechanism. Exhaust fluids, such as exhaust gases, from the propelling engine may be directed to warm the snow handling mechanism without having to be coupled with the snow handling mechanism.

FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating details of a representative two-stage snow handling mechanism. In FIG. 2, fluid conveying unit 46 is coupled with housing 34 in a manner permitting delivery of warm exhaust gases to within housing 34. Snow handling mechanism 14 is substantially located within housing 34. Snow handling mechanism includes a first stage 30 and a second stage 34. First stage 30 may include an auger structure 30 that is embodied in a first auger-set 50 fashioned in a substantially helical arrangement oriented in a first direction (rightward in FIG. 2) fixed with a first shaft 54, and in a second auger-set 52 fashioned in a substantially helical arrangement oriented in a second direction (substantially opposite the first direction of first auger-set 50; leftward in FIG. 2) fixed with first shaft 54. First shaft 54 rotates substantially in a plane generally parallel with the plane of the paper upon which FIG. 2 is printed. The oppositely directed auger-sets 50, 52 cooperate with rotation of first shaft 54 to draw snow from intake locus 36 toward second stage 32.

Second stage 34 may be embodied in an impeller structure 57 affixed with a second shaft 58. Second shaft 58 rotates substantially in a plane generally perpendicular with the plane of the paper upon which FIG. 2 is printed. First shaft 54 and second shaft 58 mechanically interact within in a differential structure 56 to effect their respective rotations. Differential structure 56 is driven by engine 12 (FIG. 1) via drive arrangement 16. Details of the driving of differential 56 by engine 12 are not described herein in detail as they are well-known by those skilled in the art of outdoor power equipment design.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a representative internal combustion engine that may be used with a snow blower employing the present invention. In FIG. 3, internal combustion engine 12 is a type of internal combustion engine commonly employed with outdoor power equipment. Internal combustion engine 12 may include a gas tank 24 and a muffler 26, as previously described (FIG. 1). Engine 12 may also include a fuel fill cap 60 providing access to gas tank 24 for fueling. A spark plug 62 may be connected with a spark plug wire 64 for providing spark to ignite fuel within an interior cylinder (not shown in FIG. 3) of engine 12. An oil fill plug 66 may provide access to an interior sump (not shown in FIG. 3) for establishing a lubricant reservoir for engine 12. Oil fill plug 66 may have an integral dip stick (not shown in FIG. 3) for checking level of lubricant within engine 12. For purposes of this disclosure, the term “integral” is intended to mean formed as a unit with another part.

Engine 12 may also be equipped with a fuel cut-off valve 82 and a recoil starter 74 operable by a manual starter handle 70. A throttle control lever 78 may provide speed control for engine 12, and a choke control 80 may aid in starting engine 12 by affecting richness of a fuel-mixture provided to engine 12.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of details of a representative distributor unit for use with the present invention. In FIG. 4, a representative distributor unit 90 may be configured generally as a parallelepiped with an open face to establish a cavity 108. In such a representative configuration, distributor unit 90 may include a top wall 92; a rear wall 98; a front wall 100; and side walls 94, 96. Bottom 106 of distributor unit 90 is not enclosed so that distributor unit 90 presents cavity 108 bounded by walls 92, 94, 96, 98, 100.

Distributor unit 90 receives a fluid conveying unit 46 (FIG. 1) through one of walls 92, 94, 96, 98, 100 to permit providing warm exhaust gases to cavity 108. Front wall 100 may extend below adjacent walls 94, 96 and may be substantially planar or may be directed from a planar orientation toward cavity 108 as illustrated in FIG. 4 to further facilitate directing warm exhaust gases from cavity 108 to within housing 34 when distributor unit 90 is installed (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

A mounting plate 102 may extend from rear wall 98. Distributor unit 90 may be integrally formed from a single sheet of material in a manner known to those skilled in the art of sheet fabrication such as, by way of example and not by way of limitation, sheet metal fabrication with corners at which walls meet being joined by conventional joining technology. Such conventional joining technology may include, by way of example and not by way of imitation, welding, adhesive joining, or similar joining technologies. Thus mounting plate 102 may be integrally formed with rear wall 98 by a bending along a line 109. Mounting plate 102 may include one or more apertures 104 to facilitate bolting or similarly mounting distributor unit 90 with a housing 34 (FIG. 1) of a snow blower 10.

FIG. 5 is a side view of details of a first representative installation of a distributor unit for use with the present invention. In FIG. 5, a housing 34 is illustrated with an intake locus 36 facing toward the right in FIG. 5. A distributor unit 90 is installed substantially adjacent with intake locus 36. Distributor unit 90 presents a cavity 108 toward intake locus 36. A fluid conveying unit 46 is coupled with distributor unit 90 permit providing warm exhaust gases to cavity 108. Mounting plate 102 is in an installed orientation substantially abutting housing 34 with fasteners such as, by way of example and not by way of limitation, nuts and bolts installed within apertures 104 and generally matching apertures in housing 34 (not shown in FIG. 5; understood by those skilled in the art of outdoor power equipment) to securely hold distributor unit 90 with respect to housing 34 in an installed orientation.

The installed orientation of distributor unit 90 may permit warm exhaust gases to be provided within housing 34 in the vicinity of snow handling mechanism 14 (FIG. 1) from fluid conveying unit 46 via cavity 108. Distributor unit 90 may have a length substantially coextensive with housing 34, or may be somewhat less in width than housing 34. Distributor unit 90 may spread a flow of warm exhaust gases over a wider expanse of snow handling mechanism 14 than may be achieved by simply attaching fluid conveying unit 46 with housing 34 as illustrated in FIG. 1.

Rather than using apertures 104 with substantially matching apertures in housing 34, distributor unit 90 may be mounted in an installed orientation using clamps such as, by way of example and not by way of limitation, C-clamps. FIG. 5 illustrates a representative clamping installation of distributor unit 90 using C-clamps 110 (only one C-clamp 110 is illustrated in FIG. 5). A C-clamp 110 may be installed at each end of distributor unit 90, adjacent each of walls 94, 96, in a manner permitting clamping mounting plate 102 with housing 34 in the vicinity of points “A” and “B” at each end of mounting plate 102.

FIG. 6 is a side view of details of a second representative installation of a distributor unit for use with the present invention. In FIG. 6, elements of distributor unit 90 are the same as those described in connection with FIG;. 5 except that mounting plate 102 is offset from alignment with the bottom edges of ends 94, 96. In order to avoid unnecessary prolixity only differences of FIG. 6 with respect to FIG. 5 will be described. Mounting details of the embodiment of distributor unit 90 illustrated in FIG. 6 are substantially the same as described in connection with FIG. 5 and have been omitted to reduce cluttering of FIG. 6.

In FIG. 6, mounting plate 102 is offset from a plane containing bottom edges of ends 94, 96 by an angle θ. This arrangement establishes an alternate installed orientation that may permit a more direct alignment of cavity 108 with snow handling mechanism 14 so as to deliver warm exhaust gases to snow handling mechanism 14 within housing 34 more directly. Increased heating of snow handling mechanism 14 may result from the alternate installed orientation illustrated in FIG. 6 compared with heating provided by the installation illustrated in FIG. 5.

Distributor unit 90 may be configured in any shape that provides a cavity in communication with fluid conveying unit 46 and distributes warm exhaust gases received from fluid conveying unit 46 toward snow handling mechanism 14. Thus, distributor unit 90 may present a cross section taken along a plane parallel with an end 94, 96 as a cylindrical cross-section, an elliptical cross-section, a triangular cross-section, or another cross-section that provides a cavity in communication with fluid conveying unit 46 and distributes warm exhaust gases received from fluid conveying unit 46 toward snow handling mechanism 14. In addition, vanes (not shown in the figures) may be included within cavity 108 to aid distribution of gases traversing cavity 108.

FIG. 7 is a perspective illustration of a representative embodiment of a collecting unit of the present invention. In FIG. 7, a fluid conveying unit 46 is illustrated in an exploded relation with a collecting unit 44. Collecting unit 44 and exhaust port 26 are, as described earlier herein regarding FIG. 1, associated and coupled with internal combustion engine 12. Those two elements 44, 26 are illustrated here in a view disembodied from an associated engine in order to simplify the description and present a clearer graphic representation of relationships among related elements. The cross-hatching indicated with exhaust port 26 is intended to indicate the disembodied nature of the view presented by FIG. 7.

Fluid conveying unit 46 may be permanently integrally formed with collecting unit 44 (not shown in FIG. 7) or may be provided as a separate element from collecting unit 44. When fluid conveying unit 46 is a separate element from collecting unit 44, the two elements 44, 46 may be assembled, by way of example and not by way of limitation, as by slidingly engaging fluid conveying unit 46 in a nesting relation with an access port 45. Elements 44, 46 may be held in engagement by any of various known structures or elements (not shown) such as, by way of example and not by way of imitation, a hose clamp, adhesive, or other holding structure or element.

Collecting unit 44, may be installed with exhaust port 26 (which may include a muffler) by known engagement structures or elements. By way of example and not by way of limitation, collecting unit 44 may be held in a clamping engagement with exhaust port 44 by applying a clamping force along one or both of axes 112, 114. Clamping force may be applied by any clamping structure such as, by way of example and not by way of limitation, a C-clamp. Alternatively or additionally, collecting unit 44 may be engaged with exhaust port 26 using screws, nuts and bolts adhesive or other known engaging structures or elements.

An additional feature that may be included with collecting unit 44, if desired, is a selector capability, indicated by a selector mechanism embodied in a selector controller 116. Selector controller 116 may be configured as a knob (as illustrated in FIG. 7) or may be a lever or another configuration. Selector controller 116 is coupled with a directing element (not shown; understood by those skilled in the art of outdoor power equipment) inside collecting unit 44. Directing element responds to movement of selector controller 116 to direct exhaust fluids from exhaust port 26 to fluid conveying unit 46 when selector controller 116 is in a first orientation, or to direct exhaust fluids from exhaust port 26 to an output port 118 when selector controller 116 is in a second orientation. Alternatively, the directing element may be configured to respond to movement of selector controller 116 to proportionally direct exhaust fluids from exhaust port 26 to one or both of fluid conveying unit 46 and output port 118 depending upon the position of selector controller 116.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating the method of the present invention. In FIG. 8, a method 200 for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower begins at a START locus 202. The snow blower has an intake locus through which snow is received as received snow and an output locus through which the received snow is ejected as blown snow. The snow handling mechanism conveys the received snow from the intake locus to the output locus. The snow blower includes an internal combustion engine having an exhaust port. The internal combustion engine is coupled with the snow handling mechanism for effecting the conveying. Method 200 continues with receiving exhaust fluids from the exhaust port, as indicated by a block 204. Method 200 continues with delivering the exhaust fluids from the collecting unit to the intake locus, as indicated by a block 206. Method 200 terminates at an END locus 208.

It is to be understood that, while the detailed drawings and specific examples given describe embodiments of the invention, they are for the purpose of illustration only, that the system and method of the invention are not limited to the precise details and conditions disclosed and that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined by the following claims: 

I claim:
 1. An apparatus for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower; said snow blower having an intake locus through which snow is received as received snow and an output locus through which said received snow is ejected as blown snow; said snow handling mechanism conveying said received snow from said intake locus to said output locus; said snow blower including an internal combustion engine having an exhaust port; said internal combustion engine being coupled with said snow handling mechanism for effecting said conveying; the apparatus comprising: (a) a collecting unit coupled with said exhaust port; said collecting unit receiving exhaust fluids from said exhaust port; and (b) a fluid conveying unit coupled with said collecting unit and coupled substantially adjacent to said intake locus; said fluid conveying unit delivering said exhaust fluids from said collecting unit to said intake locus.
 2. An apparatus for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus further comprises: a distributor unit coupled between said fluid conveying unit and said intake locus; said distributor unit distributing said exhaust fluids substantially throughout said intake locus.
 3. An apparatus for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower as claimed in claim 1 wherein said exhaust port presents said exhaust fluids from a muffler installed with said engine.
 4. An apparatus for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower as claimed in claim 1 wherein said collecting unit includes a selector mechanism; said selector mechanism directing said exhaust fluids from said exhaust port to said fluid conveying unit when said selector mechanism is in a first orientation; said selector mechanism directing said exhaust fluids from said exhaust port to said fluid conveying unit when said selector mechanism is in a second orientation.
 5. An apparatus for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fluid conveying unit is a flexible tube.
 6. An apparatus for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower as claimed in claim 4 wherein said fluid conveying unit is a flexible tube.
 7. An apparatus for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower as claimed in claim 2 wherein said exhaust port presents said exhaust fluids from a muffler installed with said engine.
 8. An apparatus for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower as claimed in claim 2 wherein said collecting unit includes a selector mechanism; said selector mechanism directing said exhaust fluids from said exhaust port to said fluid conveying unit when said selector mechanism is in a first orientation; said selector mechanism directing said exhaust fluids from said exhaust port away from said fluid conveying unit when said selector mechanism is in a second orientation.
 9. An apparatus for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower as claimed in claim 2 wherein said fluid conveying unit is a flexible tube.
 10. An apparatus for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower as claimed in claim 8 wherein said fluid conveying unit is a flexible tube.
 11. A method for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower; said snow blower having an intake locus through which snow is received as received snow and an output locus through which said received snow is ejected as blown snow; said snow handling mechanism conveying said received snow from said intake locus to said output locus; said snow blower including an internal combustion engine having an exhaust port; said internal combustion engine being coupled with said snow handling mechanism for effecting said conveying; the method comprising: (a) receiving exhaust fluids from said exhaust port; and (b) delivering said exhaust fluids to said intake locus.
 12. A method for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower as claimed in claim 11 wherein the method further comprises: providing a distributor unit coupled with said intake locus for receiving said exhaust fluids; said distributor unit distributing said exhaust fluids substantially throughout said intake locus.
 13. A method for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower as claimed in claim 11 wherein said exhaust fluids are received from said exhaust port via a muffler installed with said engine.
 14. An apparatus for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower; said snow blower having an intake locus through which snow is received as received snow and an output locus through which said received snow is ejected as blown snow; said snow handling mechanism conveying said received snow from said intake locus to said output locus; said snow blower including an internal combustion engine an exhaust port; the apparatus comprising: (a) a collecting unit coupled with said exhaust port; said collecting unit receiving exhaust fluids from said exhaust port; and (b) a fluid conveying unit coupled with said collecting unit and coupled substantially adjacent to said intake locus; said fluid conveying unit delivering said exhaust fluids from said collecting unit to said intake locus.
 15. An apparatus for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower as claimed in claim 14 wherein the apparatus further comprises: a distributor unit coupled between said fluid conveying unit and said intake locus; said distributor unit distributing said exhaust fluids substantially throughout said intake locus.
 16. An apparatus for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower as claimed in claim 14 wherein said exhaust port presents said exhaust fluids from a muffler installed with said engine.
 17. An apparatus for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower as claimed in claim 14 wherein said collecting unit includes a selector mechanism; said selector mechanism directing said exhaust fluids from said exhaust port to said fluid conveying unit when said selector mechanism is in a first orientation; said selector mechanism directing said exhaust fluids from said exhaust port away from said fluid conveying unit when said selector mechanism is in a second orientation.
 18. An apparatus for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower as claimed in claim 14 wherein said fluid conveying unit is a flexible tube.
 19. An apparatus for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower as claimed in claim 15 wherein said exhaust port presents said exhaust fluids from a muffler installed with said engine, and wherein said fluid conveying unit is a flexible tube.
 20. An apparatus for mitigating freezing of a snow handling mechanism in a snow blower as claimed in claim 15 wherein said collecting unit includes a selector mechanism; said selector mechanism directing said exhaust fluids from said exhaust port to said fluid conveying unit when said selector mechanism is in a first orientation; said selector mechanism directing said exhaust fluids from said exhaust port away from said fluid conveying unit when said selector mechanism is in a second orientation. 